Seventeen local organisations work together under Lee Green Assembly’s banner of “Our community, our say” to create a safer, healthier and better environment while providing activities and services for local people.

Founded in 2016 by Friends of Manor House Gardens, Lee Manor Society and Lee Green Lives, the Consortium has looked for ways of supporting the dozens of volunteers who give their time freely to support local activities that enable people to enjoy healthier lives while having fun, and others to overcome loneliness and isolation, or advice and information for people in need.

Before the COVID pandemic, the groups organised the annual Showcase event at Manor House Gardens Festival, with funding from Lee Green Assembly. The Gardens Festival, held annually, regularly attracted more than a thousand visitors, many of whom passed through the marquee.

Since then, the Consortium’s members have stayed in touch through email exchanges and the occasional remote meeting. Its work is facilitated by Lee Green Lives. It has recently expanded with the addition of Arts Network and GRACE joining in 2021.

Members of the Consortium
Friends of Manor House Gardens
Lee Green Lives (LGL)
Lee Manor Society
Users and Friends of Manor House Library
Friends and Users of Staplehurst Shops (FUSS)
Lee Fair Share Time Bank
Lee Forum
Lee Green Open Studios
Lee Green Women’s Institute
Lochaber Hall Association
Manor House Library
Manor Park Friends
Newstead Tenants and Residents Association
Soul Refresh Café, Leegate
Leegate Traders Forum
Arts Network
GRACE (Greenwich Refugee Aid & Community Enterprise) Charity Shop, Leegate

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Who’s who in Lee Green Consortium

Friends and Users of Staplehurst Shops (FUSS)
FUSS was formed some 15 years ago to reinvigorate the run-down Staplehurst area in front of Hither Green. Volunteers liaise with the Council and shops, planted trees, installed planters. FUSS runs the successful annual Christmas Fair – featuring a giant tree, community activities and stalls – and other fairs to raise money and to sustain the area. Contact: fusspot100@gmail.com

Friends of Manor House Gardens
A group of volunteers whose purpose is to increase use and enjoyment of the park, consulting regularly with Lewisham Council and Glendale to make improvements that benefit the whole community. Their work includes developing and hosting community events, including the massive annual summer festival, maintaining a community garden, reporting and resolving user issues and encouraging better biodiversity. Contact: friendsofmanorhousegardens@gmail.com

Lee Fair Share (LFS)
A Time Bank in the Lee and Hither Green area, offering local people the chance to make friends and know their neighbours. Every hour you spend helping someone gets you a Time Credit entitling you to support with something else. Helping someone in their garden might get you help with your computer. Activities include Coffee, Cake & Company featuring games, refreshments and friendships. Contact: leefairshare@hotmail.com

Lee Forum
Run for and by local people. You can influence the future of our area – help protect green spaces or guide building of homes and community spaces for example through Lee’s Neighbourhood Plan, drafted by Lee Forum and now in its final consultation stage. Once agreed, the Plan will be adopted by Lewisham and Greenwich councils, and guide their planning decisions. Contact: leeforum@info.org.uk

Lee Green Lives (LGL)
A group that runs the community centre in Leegate, SE12 8SS. They transformed an empty unit into a vibrant hub of activities for all needs, ages and backgrounds. Activities include computer and literacy classes, sociable tea-and-chat, sewing, exercises for older people, and a drop-in advice & support service. A major community resource, providing skills and experience for volunteers while supporting local groups throughout the area. Contact: info@lgl.org.uk

Lee Green Open Studios (LGOS)
Studios celebrating high-quality artists based in the area. Local homes, businesses, library and hall are open to the public with a chance to see and purchase amazing artwork created in the area, including paintings, prints, photography, ceramics, sculptors, jewellers and more. Held annually usually over two weekends in November. Contact: leegreenopenstudios18@gmail.com

Lee Green Women’s Institute (WI)
A friendly group of local women who get together to create, chat, draw, drink, listen, protest, get inspired, read and learn. Come and join us to learn new skills, to get involved with our neighbourhood – and have a laugh. Meet monthly. Website: www.leegreenwi.co.uk

Lee Manor Society (LMS)
Lee Manor Society was established in 1976 to care for the conservation area of Lee Manor – a well-preserved example of a planned Victorian suburb with homes, schools, shops, a pub and a church. It has since widened to include much of Lee Green. Central to the society is the 18th century Manor House and its grounds, now a community library and park. Contact: ralphmailing@gmail.com

Leegate Traders Forum
Group of traders in Leegate shopping centre, formed by businesses occupying units on short-term leases, promoting their services and working to ensure developers recognise their strengths and commitment. Contact: hugh@se12woodworks.co.uk

Lochaber Hall Community Association
Community Centre, Manor Lane Terrace, SE13 5QL, is a Grade II listed building managed by a small committee of local volunteers. There are two halls, one large and one small. Both are available for hire and have disabled access and toilets. Contact (for enquiries or bookings): lochaberhall@gmail.com

Manor House Library
34 Old Road, SE13 5SY. Georgian building, extensively refurbished, now a community library – open seven days a week – with access to over 5m books. Hosts community activities, reading groups for children, book groups for adults, printing and photocopying facilities. Contact: 020 8463 0420; www.mhlibrary.co.uk

Manor Park Friends (MPF)
Manor Park Friends works for all its users to improve Manor Park, which features River Quaggy, a small woodland, play area and arts cafe. We fundraise for improvements (drinking fountain, plants and gardening equipment). Activities and events include picnics, arts and crafts, litter picks, gardening sessions and other fun environmental education. Contact: manor parkfriends@gmail.com

Users and Friends of Manor House Library
The group was formed in 1999 to withstand threatened closure of Manor House Library. The successful campaign resulted in massive public investment to renovate the building. Since then, it was on the Mayor’s Commission for Libraries and Learning 2008/09 and continued to campaign for local and other libraries. Contact: mhlibraryusers@yahoo.co.uk

Arts Network
Located in Leegate, Arts Network provides a supportive welcoming space for individuals and workshops and other activities to explore their creativity, socialise and feel part of the community. Our free service is primarily aimed at people who have severe mental illness, and focuses on those who are isolated and have little or no resources or support. Contact: info@artsnetwork.org.uk

GRACE (Greenwich Refugee Aid & Community Enterprise)
Charity Shop, 18 Leegate SE12 8SS. Drop off in-store from Tuesday-Friday 9:30am -2pm
Clothes for people of all ages, particularly children, domestic appliances, etc. Contact: 0208 062 8741 (please call during shop opening hours); aid@graceaid.org.uk

Centre Coordinator Shirley Kirkland on how the Centre
reaches out to people in the local community

The various popular classes, activities, workshops and services that the Centre provides mean that people can easily access information to find help and break the isolation that comes from being in a disadvantaged situation.

The work of the Centre continues to thrive and despite losing two teachers last year we have been well able to replace them, and the registrations show that local people appreciate the classes and the teachers, with good numbers attending every week. Amanda, the knitting teacher, has designed and encouraged students to work on a huge project to replace the tired old knitted squares decorating the project’s shutters for the last two years. It is looking amazing!

I have enjoyed having Megan helping out in the Centre and between us we are hoping to organise a monthly film evening and further develop our newsletter which we delivered on the Leybridge Estate. Feedback shows it was well received by local people.

Our new literacy class, although small so far, has made a huge difference to those attending, all of whom have said they’ve never had the chance of one-on-one support with a teacher before in their lives, and they now feel much more confident.

We are planning a cookery club, all about teaching us how best to cook healthily. In preparation I have attended cookery sessions with the GCDA so that I can understand what support students will require and organise for the course which we hope to start in January 2019.

And apart from structured classes, day to day life at the Centre continues:

A service user came into the Centre in a panic, she couldn’t remember if she had paid her phone bill. We rang the phone company but could not get past the security questions due to memory difficulties brought on by early onset dementia. The customer service operator, desperately wanting to help, finally asked one last question, “When did she last use the phone”? I remembered she had come into the Centre a few times to look for her lost phone the previous month. Bingo! problem solved and the phone company agreed to wipe the debt.

Relief: “how about a cup of tea and a biscuit”? is another phrase you will hear often. However now that we have joined the Sugar Smart campaign we have made a pledge to reduce the sugar intake of the community Centre. This has meant big changes. In our workshops we now offer only fruit, low or no sugar biscuits. We are committed to making a difference to our community by making small changes.

I would like to thank all the volunteers who have taken their time to help out at the centre, Lyn Deering, Moni Adejumbo, Mark Serebriakoff, Pat Coyne, Linda Mallory, Maureen Russell, David Coyne, Juan Menendez, Ayee Su Tang, Marufa Benjal, Charlotte English, Avril Augustin, Eve Hardwood, Kristina and Jenny in the knitting group and of course Helen Nicholas, Val Miller, Megan Jamieson and Anwar Ghazala who all do so much.

How did you hear about the LGL community centre Lynne?

Last year I used to live in the area and I was passing through after at-tending a back to work programme. I was very distressed because I was being pressurised into finding work without be-ing given the practical help like writing a CV.

It makes me feel good about myself ...

How has the centre helped you?

I went into the LGL community centre and asked for help. I was supported and advised by the advocacy worker there, which was a big change from what I was used to. They helped me write my CV and I have been volunteering for nearly a year now.

What makes the centre special?

It makes me feel good about myself and I learn new life skills. I also like the fact that people from every age and back-ground are welcome.

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